What does the -oX flag do in an Nmap scan?

Question

Options

• APerform an eXpress scan
• BOutput the results in truncated format to the screen
• COutput the results in XML format to a file
• DPerform an Xmas scan

• A
  3% (1)
• C
  94% (33)
• D
  3% (1)

Explanation

Nmap -oX Flag Explanation

In Nmap, the -o flags control output formatting, and the X in -oX stands for XML - so this flag saves scan results to a file in XML format, making it machine-readable and easy to parse with other tools or import into reporting frameworks. Option A is incorrect because there is no "eXpress scan" mode in Nmap; fast scanning is handled by -F. Option B is wrong because -oX writes to a file, not the screen, and does not truncate results. Option D is a common trap - the Xmas scan is triggered by -sX, not -oX (the s prefix is used for scan types, while o is used for output options).

Memory Tip: Remember the pattern: -o = Output, and the letter after it tells you the format - -oX = XML, -oN = Normal, -oG = Grepable. If you see -o, think "how do I want to save my results?"

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